The playoffs feel like a special invitation. And it is, despite more teams being invited than not. In fact, the fact more than half the teams make the playoffs matters even less with the excitement of the Play-In games—which adds more teams post-regular season. Basketball is the one sport that has managed to stay closest to the purest form of its product while giving us more of the product in many different forms of ingestion. We get it by the can, bottle, jar, tablet, box and crate and we still can’t get enough. But the playoffs still give us that boost as close to the first time we became bewitched by the magic of hoop.

I play my fair share of video games. One of the types I play the most are the kinds of games like Sonic the Hedgehog and MegaMan, where I use my deductible reasoning and releases to solve whatever puzzle the level is posturing. Defeating enemies, executing frame-perfect movement and mastering the controls gives me a sense of pride in skill development. In short, the better I get along the way, the more I want to play to see how good I get. It also feels good to know to be among the best players of the game—or at least better than a lot of people because of time spent. “Get good (usually written as, ‘git gud’),” is a phrase often told to one’s when there is a noticeable gap in ability. Pride results in a gentle reminder of the difference that may feel like taunting to some.

While you may not agree with that expression of pride, that expression is rooted in something we all like to experience: positive exclusivity. We want to be acknowledged and made rarefied because we were better than our peers. The playoffs are the NBA’s version of unlocking another wing of the basketball season, giving the teams and fans of the teams esoteric happiness. To bring it back to video games, a lot of them have, “special stages,” meant to only be discovered through skill. Whether it be high score or objectives completed or unearthing a secret location with a keen eye, these bonus levels are a big part of why I play the games I play I like knowing some version of my ability granted me access only those at least as good as me can have. So as we enjoy this year’s NBA postseason, remember we are in a different part of the game. And that part of the game is meant to be enjoyed by those of us who are “better” fans. In the words of uber-talented musician Thundercat, “Life’s a special stage. Zone in on your goal. Play the game and play to win.”

Now, as I was writing this, basketball legend Candace Parker let the hoop world know she is retiring. And because she is worth much more than the brevity of a Till Take, I will pivot and give her as much of a bouquet I can.

I mean it when I say CP3 is a legend. Parker has been an icon for nearly two decades, changing and growing basketball with her skill and success. She is a winner on every level, with her charisma surely going to carry her in her second career of broadcasting.

After playing for another pillar of basketball in Pat Summit at the University of Tennessee, Parker was selected first overall in the Draft. She is still the only woman in the WNBA to work Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season, doing so for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2008. She managed to win three titles at three different landmark points. Los Angeles is where Parker grew to be the superstar player on and off the court She then helped bring her hometown of Chicago a title in 2021. She ended her career with the team that has her nickname’s sake, the Aces, who are coming into this season as last year’s champions. Parker truly is an ace, the highest of value in the deck of basketball. We wish Candace Parker more life and success and thank her for she has done and continues to do to grow the game of basketball.

Time for some postseason Till Takes!

Speaking of the skill gap, I believe we can agree that the top three seeds of the Western Conference have demonstrated how much better they are than their opponents. One of the residual effects of being great is an increased margin of error. A great team’s opponents know that it will require their best possible performance to win. In some cases, that best performance just makes it competitive. On the other end, that great team can play less than their best and then flip that proverbial switch for a few minutes and win. Of course, tempting the fates of victory with lackluster play has caused plenty a great team to come up short. But that does not refute the notion that the better competitor has room for more flaws. It’s like having a lap headstart in a race, and teams like Oklahoma City, Denver and Minnesota are well ahead of their opponents in the race to the second round.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is battling through a tough injury to attempt to lead his team through the Eastern Conference playoffs. This includes a 50-point performance against the Knicks in Game 3 of their series. As much as it is commendable for him to do this, and as much as us around basketball appreciate his toughness, we will not celebrate him for this effort once he retires. This won’t go on his Hall of Fame list of accomplishments. We will simply wonder, “what if?” like other oft-injured superstars in basketball history. It is not his fault, and it’s not necessarily bad that we frame it that way. That longing for more is why we tune into sports in the first place.

Anthony Edwards is the new American young face of the NBA.

There are tough circumstances in Milwaukee and New Orleans. It’s unfortunate their stars are injured and thus their teams aren’t at full strength when it matters most.
The Clippers and Mavericks do not like each other, and that series is better for it.

That’s it for this NBA recap. Next time, we will be discussing the upcoming WNBA season!

The post NBA Recap: Special Stage appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

In-Season Tournament. For the first time, the NBA held an In-Season Tournament. Channeling an idea popularized by European futbol leagues, all 30 teams participated in pool play, with the top 4 in each conference moving to the knockout round. In the end, it was the Los Angeles Lakers winning the championship over the Indiana Pacers. While All-Star Tyrese Haliburton was probably the biggest individual winner, the NBA as a whole earned major points with fans. Sure, the courts were a little loud in places and the uniforms were bet with mixed reviews. But the NBA did its best to let us know this was different than just a simple regular season set of games And it worked I believe the In-Season Tournament is here to stay for a while.

Draymond, Draymond, Draymond. Speaking of the NBA benefitting from the In-Season Tournament, Warriors forward/center Draymond Green had a few—let’s call them incidents—during the season. The marquee event being him putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper would appreciate. The reason why I say the NBA benefitted from Draymond’s actions is because it further convinced a lot of fans that players were playing harder because of the In-Season Tournament. While that isn’t generally true—players generally play hard most nights with a few exceptions—that idea increased fan attendance during pool play of the Tournament. One of the things I say, especially when it comes to sports, is that, “Everything is pro wrasslin.” Sports and entertainment are forever joined, and one form of entertainment is drama and conflict. If we believe there is some genuine dislike between two parties, we will sign up to watch. The NBA knew that and played to that. Thus, while Draymond Green absolutely needed to be suspended for his multiple instances of recklessness, the NBA also owes him something for boosting the ratings during Tournament time.

An alien has landed. This season’s number one overall pick was Victor Wembanyama. The 7’5” extremely skilled forward/center has had an impressive rookie campaign. Of course, not every game has been good, as every first-year player will have their struggles. But even bigger than some of his ridiculous stat lines are just some of the individual plays that only he seemingly can make. Even somewhat simple moves look way more fluid for Wembanyama in a way they shouldn’t because he’s so tall. The best part is that this will be the worst version of Wembanyama as a player. We are witnessing a generational talent. Nike was right to give him an alien-inspired logo, because what Victor Wembanyama will do to alter the game of basketball will be otherworldly.

The Springtime of Youth! The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves have performed so well this season, with both exceeding unique versions of expectations. OKC overcame their lack of experience across the board (youngest starting five in the NBA) to finish atop a very competitive Western Conference. Led by MVP candidate–and elder statement at 26 years old–Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder outlasted Denver and Minnesota to finish first. Minnesota had to overcome what felt like an improper roster fit with Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns both starting. What happened was the Wolves having the Association’s best team defense and a 56-win season. This year was Anthony Edwards’ announcement into the fast track to take the leap to superstardom. Both teams have sped up their timelines to contention, and both their players and coaches will have to learn how to win later into the playoffs on the fly.

Milestone after milestone. LeBron James continues to extend the longevity of his greatness. He surpassed 40,000 career points, and averaged 25 points per game for the 20th consecutive season. He also became the first player to shoot over 70 percent at the rim as well as 40 percent from three. There is both so much and so little left to say about a true living legend.

The Big Joker. The Denver Nuggets managed to finish tied with the best record in the West with OKC, but are the 2nd seed due to tiebreakers. Nikola Jokic had yet another stellar season, and could win his third MVP in four years. Denver and the Boston Celtics appear to be headed on a collision course in the NBA Finals, but there are still a few weeks of playoff basketball in between that possible scenario that can shift the timeline. Either way, this is still Jokic’s league and he will have a say in who hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June. The play-in games are at the beginning of the week and the playoffs start this coming weekend. Here’s to the next part of the 2023-24 journey.

Some end-of-season Till Takes!

• This is the dunk of the year.
• This is the shot of the year.
• This is the best play of the year.
• Payton Pritchard of the Celtics ended the regular season with a 34 point, 9 rebound, 12 assist stat line.
• Jalen Brunson has proven he can lead a team as the number one option. However it remains to be seen if his size will be a hindrance as the Knicks try to contend for a championship. In the playoffs, teams just have someone who can consistently get easy jumpers and draw fouls. Brunson is really good at the former, but the latter remains to be seen in the postseason. No matter how it goes, the NBA is better when the Knicks are good, and New York should embrace this iteration of the team.

That’s it for the regular season recap. I’ll catch you once the playoffs start!

The post NBA Recap: The Actual Recap appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

On April 7th, Dawn captured the women’s NCAA title after defraying Caitlin Clark and Iowa 87-75. In 16 years at South Carolina, this is her third title. Her and South Carolina have gone 109-3 in the past three years, capping it off with a 38-0 season this year. She was overcome with emotion after the game was over, even bringing up her previous class, named, “The Freshies,” as this season was an attempt to redeem them four losing in last year’s National Semifinal. With a different and younger cast, she and her team completed the mission and are this season’s champions.

But this is bigger than this year—bigger even than her 16 years as a coach in Columbia. The rain why I titled this post what I did is because Dawn Staley has and continues to build a legacy that places her as one of the biggest living legends in basketball history. Let’s begin with this: Staley has been a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame since 2013. Since then, she has been to 6 Final Fours with 3 titles, 4 Naismith Coach of the Year awards, and an Olympic gold medal as Team USA’s head coach. This does not include her 2 Naismith Player of the Year awards at the University of Virginia, her 6 WNBA All-Star selections and 3 Olympic gold medals as a player, with many, many more accomplishments I didn’t list. For over 30 years, Dawn Staley has been a supreme model of basketball excellence.

The best part about Staley’s second career as a head coach is her willingness to embrace the role as one of the ambassadors tasked with helping to grow the women’s basketball game to receive the love and support it deserves. She is willing to praise players on other teams, address social issues in the right way, and still be the firm and disciplined leader needed to achieve the highest level of success. Her players absolutely adore her, from A’ja Wilson to Aliyah Boston, and she continues to keep the momentum she’s had since beginning her coaching career at Temple University going at South Carolina.

We know she is great. However, we must appreciate her as if we are obligated to loudly celebrate her to the highest degree. She says she has, “uncommon favor.” And while that may be true, she is rarified greatness, discipline and compassion personified. Everything she has been involved in as a leader had led to success for her and whomever is aligned with her. And the best part for us is that it feels like more is on the way for her. Dawn Staley, you are The One. Congratulations to the South Carolina Gamecocks on their championship.

The only Till Take I have is the fact that this season was a landmark one for women’s basketball. More names became well-known. More eyes were watching the games for the quality of hoop on the floor. We had drama, storylines and exalted success. To those players who are moving on to be professionals, may they find the best career paths for them. To those who will be in college next year, may Even more support be thrown their way to exponentially grow the sport to unprecedented heights. Thank you all for a tremendous season.

The post NCAA Women’s Basketball Recap: The One appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

Those games saw a rematch of last year’s National Championship game between LSU and Iowa as well as USC taking on UConn (Editor’s Note: while I wanted to see USC win, I do support Connecticut at a tangential level). Both games had their share of storylines. With the first game, in addition to the rematch, saw the dynamic of LSU’s Angel Reese and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark expressing their respective swaggers as competitors. In the second game, USC freshman sensation took on one of the more storied programs in UConn, who was looking to return what feels like their birthright: a place in the Final Four. In the end, it was Iowa and UConn who triumphed, joining undefeated South Carolina and surprise team NC State in the National Semifinal in April 5th.

Sure, I can add you the discourse surrounding things like how athletes conduct themselves or the racial undertones that were particularly prevalent in the LSU-Iowa game, but that isn’t necessary right now. What I would like to focus on instead of the fact that a good portion of the basketball world (read: a lot of the casual hoop watchers) were locked in to watch those games because we believed they were going to be good. There has not been a game since the 2023 WNBA Finals where the anticipation was as high as it was for these two women’s college games. It was appointment viewing because of the star power, the talent and yes, the various tensions as well. But more people aren’t tuned in if we do not believe the games will be entertaining. We didn’t expect shenanigans. We expected what we got: real good hoop.

Like most people, I’m glad women’s basketball is getting more shine and support. While it may come with all the other annoyances that come with more popularity and exposure such as hot takes and highly insulting opinions aimed at the players, the product is better for it overall. Hopefully, this is a monumental moment in the trajectory of how beloved and supported women and women’s sports grows to become. And we can avoid future mistakes like incorrect three point lines. Not even that could take away from the quality of basketball and competition these young women provided. Here’s to an incredible lady weekend of college basketball.

Some Till Takes ahead of my birthday (it’s April 9th if you’d like to send a gift):

The same of the women’s Elite Eight games, I had a thought that there was a chance there’d be an amazing NBA performance because not as many of us would be watching. Sure enough, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns scored 52 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. It was his third straight game of at least 50 against New Orleans, and he performed with a few family and friends in attendance, as he’s from nearby Mississippi. The Suns needed the win as the bottom half of the Western Conference playoff picture gets even more congested with less than a couple weeks left in the regular season.

Luka Doncic took and made one of the most ridiculous shots ever don’t in an official NBA game. Stick between good defense and the shot clock winding down, Luka flipped an underhanded shot from a step inside the three-point line and it went in. It was the most spectacular bucket of his 47-point night, but perhaps not the most impressive shot he made that day. Playing in his 65th game makes him eligible for the NBA supermax extension that he’d get off her makes an All-NBA team. That is so but assured, so he’ll look to likely become somewhere around $364 million richer once he signs. Oh, he just turned 25.

That’s it for this week’s recap. I’ll be back with the start of the NBA postseason as well as some WNBA Draft thoughts.

The post NBA (and NCAA!) Recap: Good Monday appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

In college, both the men’s and women’s conference tournaments will have wrapped up by the end of St. Patrick’s Day, and what’ll them happen is the Selection Committee will seed the teams in hopes of creating a very exciting Tournament for the next three weeks. There will be favorites such as UConn and Houston on the men’s side as well as South Carolina and Texas on the women’s side who will be attempting to navigate a tough road to the Final Four. The task sounds simple on its surface—win six straight games over three weekends to cut down the nets. But if it were easy, there would be no such thing as March Madness. The upsets, especially in the early rounds, are why we tune in every year. While only one team will be crowned champions, “One Shining Moment” replays the best moments of the entire tourney. This is one of the best spectacles in all of sports, and here’s to the best tournaments we can possibly have.

In the NBA, teams are also preparing for the postseason in their own way. There are about three weeks left in the regular season, and teams are jockeying for playoff position. While the goal of the regular season is to attempt to win a many games as possible, it is also a long-term goal for playoff teams to try to make their road to the Finals as easy as possible. Yes, every team that makes the postseason will likely be a tough matchup, but some matchups are more favorable for certain teams than others. For example, it is possible that other teams in the Western Conference want to prolong having to play the Denver Nuggets until the Conference Finals. The same can be said for the Boston Celtics and the other teams in the East. That idea is not meant to imply that teams lose games on purpose. But like in the NFL, teams will start to limit the minutes of their best players if it appears their postseason position is more cemented.

And then, there is the NBA’s Play-In Tournament—“April Absurdity” (working moniker) to college’s March Madness. The best thing to happen to the Play-In is that some of the Association’s brightest stars have been in it. This year is no different, as teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers could find themselves there once the regular season ends. It has indirectly become a way to clear a little more room for up-and-coming stars to shine because of their stellar regular seasons as well as pit several stars against each other in an intense win-or-go-home scenarios. Last year, the Miami Heat lost the 7-8 Play-In game and were down in the 8-9 game before rallying to win and carrying that momentum to the NBA Finals. Will we see a similar run this year? We’ll find out in a few weeks.

Here are some Till Takes:
Anthony Edwards attacks the rim with menacing intentions. He claimed Utah’s John Collins as his latest poster victim after dunking on him. We should appreciate how hard he plays and how willing he is to be ferocious on the court while having the charisma and swagger of a future face of the League.

The same night as Edwards’ dunk, Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson had his own thunderous dunk over Austin Reaves of the Lakers. The best part is that it was the first points of the game. Reaves was a good sport, which is easier to do when the Lakers won by more than 30, joking about his point of view on Johnson’s jam.

Kyrie Irving hit one of the most ridiculous game-winning shots I’ve ever seen. Against the Denver Nuggets, Irving hit a running left-handed hook from the free throw line for the win. I can only think of one player who would even attempt that shot in-game, and he isn’t a lefty. I don’t know how we can properly determine who is the most skilled player so far, but his craftiness is otherworldly.

That’ll so it for this NBA Recap I’ll catch you next time as we inch close to the postseason.

The post NBA Recap: Tournament Preparations appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

A milestone is defined as, “A stone functioning as a milepost,” and, “A significant event or stage in the life, progress, development, or the like of a person, nation, etc.” Both of those definitions are relevant, as two of the best hoopers on the planet are crossing milestones in their careers.

Let’s begin in the NBA ranks, as LeBron James recently passed 40,000 career points. In a game against the Denver Nuggets, James made a left-handed layup to eclipse 40k, becoming the first player in Association history to do so. It’s another accomplishment for a player who already has a myriad of accomplishments on his NBA resume. And while there was no official stoppage of play like when he broke the all-time scoring record, fans in attendance gave LeBron an ovation during the next media timeout. Even for a living legend like LeBron, who has nearly everything a basketball player could ever wish for, he acknowledged just how, “cool,” it is to have any prestigious record.

In women’s college basketball, Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark became the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history. She surpassed LSU’s “Pistol” Pete Maravich on March 3rd against Ohio State and now has the most points in collegiate basketball, regardless of person. She has been one of the faces of college basketball since the turn of the decade and looks to be a leading figure of a new generation of women’s basketball.

The common thread between these two milestones is not just that both an NBA and college basketball who are megastars of their respective domains, but rather there seems to be a propensity for a good portion of the discussion to quickly towards what it means for the rest of time. Gotinstance, there was a lot of pageantry before the games. Stars and families were in attendance in both Los Angeles and Iowa City. All sorts of merchandise and items were made as memorabilia. In both places, it was clear we were on the cusp of witnessing a milestone of the highest sports importance. Both LeBron James and Caitlin Clark possess records that may not ever be broken again.

There have been and will be plenty of words dedicated to listing those achievements. But it seems that at times, we view those accomplishments as a more of a marker of what may lie ahead instead of all of what it took to reach the milestone. I’m guilty of this myself. My mind went to wondering how long Clark would have the college record. I understand how fun it is to project, but we must also remember to prioritize the present time. Our tomorrows will take care of themselves. All the time we have to exist in our todays are those days. We cannot go back in time once the time passes; why not embrace our truly historical moments a little longer. So instead, I would like to simply appreciate the moments for longer than a couple moments. We are standing in the pages of future textbooks as observers of the text being written. We are a part of the source material. We are living research data. Let’s acknowledge just got special the present is, too. It is our responsibility to make sure that the stones used to mark this part of the journey are given their proper reverence for being created.

Till Take Time!

This is usually the time where the contenders begin to separate themselves. As the playoffs grow closer, the focus heightens even more. The Denver Nuggets appear to be doing that. The team has not lost since the All-Star break. And while we bathe in the moment of LeBron reaching 40k, Denver did win that game.

Maybe the same can be true of the Milwaukee Bucks, who have won five in a row recently. Giannis Antetokounmpo says the secret had just been, “playing better.” But we just recognize that sometimes, it is difficult to adjust on the fly. A new coach and scheme during a season in which another superstar joined the team is a lot to overcome.

This following blurb should be more than a footnote or Till Take, but there was one of the most bizarre buzzer-beater shots in basketball history. I don’t think it will be talked about much because it wasn’t in the pro ranks or with anything significant on the line or involving a nationally followed player or team. However, please click this highlighted text of a full-court pass from Western Michigan’s Ja’Vaughn Hannah that bounces before reaching teammate Anthony Crump for the game-winning basket. It was truly something that deserves much more fanfare for just how absurdly remarkable that play was.

That’s it for this recap. Be back soon with the next one!

The post NBA Recap: History in Real Time appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

We’ve arrived at the All-Star break. This is the time where we honor this season’s best among the best, selected through various metrics, to play in a showcase of the game and their abilities. Like most things with subjective selections, debate springs from analysis of the choices. We talk about who deserves to be there, as if “deserve” has something to do with it. We rail about those who were feel were snubbed. But what I’ve seen happen when talking about snubs is the apparent unwillingness to take someone off the list for that snubbed player. It’s a similar feeling to everyone’s “Top 5” having at least 14 entrants in it, all of whom are worthy to be there. I applaud everyone who made the All-Star Game. And if you are entertained by debating who should and should not be there, make sure to be bold enough in your opinion to take a selection off to add yours.

Speaking of All-Star Weekend, I believe the Saturday night festivities are for the rising stars in the Association. I’m not one who needs the brightest and most established players to participate on both Saturday and Sunday. This is especially true for the Dunk Contest. Yes, I know Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant participated in the Dunk Contest and we recognize the gravity of their names. But that gravity is based around the legends they became. If we look at those participants, Kobe in ’98 and Mike in the late 80s, they’re very early in their career trajectories. The Dunk Contest is where players announce their arrival in the galaxy, not where superstars look for even more spotlight.

As for the young stars we may want to see take to the skies like Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, their stars have been quickly developed to the point where they each have their own signature shoe. So while I understand the desire to see them, there is very little incentive aside from wanting to for those young superstars to participate. It’s not like the NBA would make them participate to help increase the odds at higher ratings.

Here are some quick Till Takes:
Peace to WNBA superstar and champion Elena Delle Donne as she steps away from basketball. She is a two-time MVP and brought the Mystics their first title. May whatever is best for her be on the way.

I believe I gave a Till Take alteringyou to Memphis Grizzlies rookie GG Jackson as he was tearing up the G-League after being drafted. Well the team signed him to a four-year contract with three of them guaranteed. He’s currently among the youngest players in the league and will look to find his footing in the NBA.

Steph Curry has entertained the idea of playing for the Charlotte Hornets towards the end of his career if he can’t finish with Golden State. But notthat the trade deadline has passed, his brother Seth has beaten him to it. The younger City was traded to Charlotte and even wears the number 30 like his older brother and like his father Dell did when he played there.

We made it to All-Star Weekend! I’ll be back with the next recap on the other side.

The post NBA Recap: Constellations appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

I suppose I could begin with yet another 70-point performance, but apparently they will be so frequent now that those types of scoring outbursts will lose a bit of their luster. Unfortunately, it is human nature for a number of us to grow tired of the consistency of Greatness. At some point, we want fresh blood at the top of the league and get annoyed when the champion feels preordained. For an example, look no further than LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors matching up four straight times in the back end of the previous decade. Instead of all of us marveling at just how hard it is to reach the Finals, we rest in the mundane and then try to discount the importance of the regular season. That hypocrisy shows because we live the new storylines of upstart teams, and those can only begin with a good regular season. Look at how we feel about Minnesota and Oklahoma City this year.

The point of that is to lead into the wonderful game between LeBron and the Lakers versus Steph Curry and the Warriors. The matchups of the NBA’s Rivalry Week made sense, and we were treated to a compelling contest on January 27th. There were big time clutch shots late in the game on both sides, and LeBron hit the two free throws to give the Lakers the lead in double overtime. Curry’s 46 points were not enough as Los Angeles eked out a one-point victory. The outcome of the game does not matter as much as I’d being able to witness this high level of play from two living legends well past the ages in which they’re supposed to be this effective. As many have said, we should cherish these matchups, because we’re much closer to the end of them nowadays. I know it feels like both LeBron and Steph can play for many years, but we know that too not be the case. Eventually, they will no longer be in NBA rosters and the Association will move into its next chapter without them. So salute to them for continuously being the brightest beacons of the NBA for as long as they have.

On January 31st, Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard played against the Portland Trail Blazers for the first time. He was received warmly by the crowd of his former team, and the game was close and competitive. Dame even delivered in the clutch, hitting a three to cut the Blazers fourth quarter lead to one late in the game. However it was not enough, as Anfernee Simons and the Blazers ended up with the 119-116 victory. Lillard shot 9-23 and finished with 25 points. He also talked about seeing, “a vision” where he would be back in a Blazers uniform as his career comes to an end.

Dame’s loyalty was brought into question after requesting a trade, especially since he said he would not go play with other superstars (he even rapped about it). But after 11 years there, it was time for ideals to change as the Blazers presented new information and wanted to rebuild with younger players. Lillard’s commitment to Portland was still concrete even if he moved on, because we’ve seen superstars move on after long tenures in places—so many, that I’m sure you reading this had more than a few names pop into mind. If sports is about championships, and championships are hard to come by whether a team has multiple superstars or just one, then players looking for the best situation possible to compete for titles is a part of the landscape. This is especially true since we tend to taint a player’s greatness if they don’t win a title (I mean, we taint legacies if they do win but not in a way we want them to). My broader point is that while we all have opinions as well as likes and dislikes of things in sports, the main objective is to find enjoyment in consuming sports. The goal is to be entertained, not have some hard-lined formula for how every player should win. There are too many all-time great talents for championships to be the only criteria that matters. Look at it this way: in no sport is the player with the most championships considered in the increasingly-miserable “G.O.A.T.” debate. That means other factors, usually based around how a player makes us feel, is also added into that conversation. That makes the conversation subjective, which is wonderful for discourse, but it’ll never lead to a consensus answer as long as sorts are around and evolving.

Here are this week’s Till Takes.

The New York Knicks have had the best January of any team in the NBA, with 13 wins headed into the matchup with the Utah Jazz on January 30. Point guard Jalen Brunson already has 18 30-point games this year, and has improved on his near -All-Star campaign a season ago of be a sure-fire selection for the All-Star team in the coming days. The recent trade to acquire OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors had opened up the space for Brunson and the Knicks to blend better on offense and defense. It remains to be seen how far this team can go in the postseason, but the team has been impressive to start 2024 and had into February third in the East.

The scoring outputs have been so incredible recently that Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell scored 45 points against the Pistons and the fanfare was slightly more than minimal. I maintain that scoring is the easiest thing to do in basketball because it’s what we’re taught first. But being a consistent elite scorer is the hardest thing to do in hoops because really intelligent basketball people and some of the best athletes around are looking to make it as difficult as possible for that scorer to be productive. Salute to anyone in today’s NBA being capable of having incredible bucket getting nights on a fairly regular basis.

The post NBA Recap: In The Midst of History appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

The post Episode 61 | Summer of the Pro | Montgomery & Company appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.

The post Episode 60 | Point Guard to Point Guard | Montgomery & Company appeared first on Montgomery CoPod.